The Counseling Center is a resource on campus for Concord University
students who voluntarily seek assistance with personal and college
related issues. Services are available by appointment or on a
walk-in basis. There is no charge to students for these services.
Counselors are available from community agencies and from campus
staff. The Counseling Center seeks to provide stability for students
throughout their transition from home to college life and to help
students maintain a positive college experience.

Who can use the Counseling Center?

The Counseling Center is available for any student who feels the
need to talk to someone about concerns or difficulties in his/her
life. These concerns could be causing problems in the student’s
daily life …perhaps emotionally, socially, academically or in other
ways. Individual counseling is the primary focus of the Counseling
Center, but couples and families can also be scheduled for
counseling. The Counseling Center also works in conjunction with the
Social Work Department and the Student & College Hearing Board to
facilitate groups with an emphasis on education & counseling.

Where is it located & what are the hours?

The Counseling Center is located on the 2nd floor of the Bonner
House. The Bonner House is a two-story brick house that is located
on the side of the Wilson and Sarvay dormitories that faces
Vermillion Street (a main street through the town of Athens).

It is directly across from the “Sigma Sigma Sigma” sorority
building. Staff are present at the center and available to answer
the phone from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
After 4:00 p.m., students & other individuals may leave a message &
phone number, or receive an after-hours phone number for crisis
services through Southern Highlands Community Mental Health Center.
(Schedule and hours may vary during scheduled breaks and summer
terms.)

Why do students come for counseling?

Students come to the Counseling Center for many different reasons
and with a wide variety of concerns. Many students are experiencing
a level of emotional distress (depressed, angry, scared or confused)
that is causing problems for them and that may be interfering with
their ability to accomplish their daily schedules. Many students
refer themselves for counseling at the prompting of friends, or
perhaps a friend who has been to the Counseling Center and received
help. Students may also be referred by personnel on campus such as
professors, Student Support Services, resident directors &
assistants, coaches, the Student & College Hearing Board, or anyone
else who feels that a student has difficulties that require
additional support and help. Students may also be referred for
counseling services by family members or other significant persons
in their lives such as a family physician. The following list gives
some of the reasons that students come to the Counseling Center:

Academic difficulties, not able to concentrate & study

Mood problems, such as feeling depressed or extremely anxious

Relationship difficulties, perhaps a breakup or conflict with peers

Family concerns, such as divorce, serious illness, alcoholism, etc.

Crisis situations and/or traumatic events such as death of a family
member, sexual assault, loss of a friend due to an unexpected
circumstance, etc.

Referral by Student Court due to a campus violation

Substance use which is causing difficulties in the student’s life

Eating patterns which have become obsessive & unhealthy

Feeling stressed, overwhelmed and unable to cope with daily life

Unresolved past issues that continue to negatively affect the
student

Social distress, such as difficulty in making friends and
interacting with others

Life choices in regard to career, sexuality, dating, etc.

Counseling is an opportunity for students to learn about themselves
and to learn how to resolve problems and issues that are troubling
to them. They can talk with an individual who is not personally
involved with their situation, and who can offer different
perspectives and ways of looking at the situation. They can learn
new skills and new ways of thinking and acting that will help them
to be better able to cope with their life issues.

How can students make an appointment?

Students can call the Counseling Center at 384-5290 or 384-6087 to
make an appointment. A student assistant will answer the phone &
schedule an appointment time with the counselor. Students will be
asked to give their name, a contact number & who referred them to
the Counseling Center. (This information is not absolutely
required). If a student feels that he/she is in crisis or needs
immediate help, it is encouraged that this student walk-in to the
center or call and request an appointment for that day.

The purpose of a contact number is to confirm the appointment time,
or to change the appointment time, if necessary. Students can
request that we not call them. If a student is called from the
Counseling Center and he/she is not there, a very neutral message
would be left on the voice mail in regard to any changes in the
appointment time. It is very important that students call us as soon
as possible when they cannot keep an appointment, as this time could
be valuable to someone else.

Persons who are referring students to the Counseling Center would
follow the same procedure which is to call the Counseling Center to
set up an appointment for the student. We would ask the name of the
student, a contact number for the student (if available), your phone
number (as the referral source) and the reason for the referral. If
it is a crisis situation, then the student would be scheduled to
come immediately to the center or the counselor would work with you
within the circumstances to help resolve the crisis.

What happens during the first session?

The first session is an introductory or intake interview which will
require at least an hour to complete. The counselor will talk with
you and ask questions to gain an understanding of you and the
concerns that have brought you to counseling. The counselor will
want to know why you are seeking counseling, why you have chosen to
come at this particular time, how long you have been troubled by the
problem, and what kinds of things you have tried to solve the
problem. Questions may also be asked in regard to your family
background, general health & functioning, school/work and other
areas of interest such as history of substance use, abuse, previous
counseling, etc. You may be asked at this session, or possibly the
next, to complete some brief assessment forms that give the
counselor additional information about you. At the end of this
session, the counselor will talk with you about possible options
and/or recommendations that might be helpful. Perhaps, another
session is needed to get a clearer picture before discussing options
and recommendations. It may be decided to begin counseling
appointments. Some students may only need a couple of sessions
whereas other students can need counseling for a longer period of
time. If there are other services in the community that could be
helpful to you, the counselor will talk with you about these
services and refer you as needed.

Will the sessions be confidential?

What you tell us at the counseling center will be treated with great
care. We consider “confidentiality” to be a very serious matter.
Professional ethics and state laws are in place to protect the
privacy of what is discussed within counseling sessions. . For the
most part, information that you share in counseling can only be
released with your written permission. There are some general
exceptions to this statement of confidentiality which are important
for you to know about. If a situation occurs in which a student is a
danger to himself/herself, we might have to take steps that go
beyond confidentiality in order to help keep this student safe.
Other exceptions could involve child or adult abuse, serious threats
towards others, and/or court involvement. These exceptions to
confidentiality are situations that do not occur very often. You can
expect that every effort will be made to protect the information you
have shared with us. The counselor is required to keep notes and a
record of your counseling process. These records are kept in a
locked file cabinet at the Counseling Center. Persons who work at
the Counseling Center are required to sign a “confidentiality
statement” with the understanding that information does not go
beyond the walls of the Counseling Center. Records are destroyed
within a reasonable length of time after graduation in accordance
with state laws. It is important to us that you can feel comfortable
about coming to the Counseling Center, and that you can address
whatever issues you need to address without worrying about privacy
and confidentiality. In order to safeguard your rights, an “advisory
committee” has been formed on campus whose purpose is to investigate
any complaints or grievances in regard to the Counseling Center.